Playing-cards.



E. \h ELCOUIN.

P LLLL we CARDS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30. I914.

Lifififi w Pnre11tod5ept2l,1915.

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ELI v. nhcoorn, or nnrnorr, trionrciin.

PLAYING-CAEDSi.

messes.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patentedfiept. 231, 31%.5.

Application filed November 39, Mile. serial No. 87464.8.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ELI V. ELCOUIN, a subject of the Czar of Russia,residing at Detroit, in the county of l/Vayne and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Playingllards, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto-the accompanying drawings. z

This invention relates to a card game, and more particularly to a gameby which all the possibilities, chances and science of a baseball gamecan be realized by the participants in the card game. 1

An object of my invention is to provide a card game which will affordconsider-a le amusement to adults, as well as juveniles, andparticularly baseball enthusiasts, the game including moves and plays ofa regulaiprofessional baseball game..

The game a'paratus includes a deck of sixty cards an a diagram of abaseball diamond with o pawns to represent the players or e ,/on bases.The card deck is divided into hree divisions, namely, the pitchers card;the batters card, and the fielders card. Each one of these divisionscontain twenty cards, and the backs and faces of the cards of the threedivisions are of different design so that the players, participants inthe game can readily distinguish the'cards.

in order that the following description of the card game can be fullyunderstood,

reference will he lied to the drawings,

wherein Figure 1. is a View of one" of the pitchers cards of which thereare three in the deck; Fig. 2 is a View of another pitchers card to ofwhich there are four in the deck; 3 is a viewof another pitchers cardo-f'which there are four in the deck; Fig. 4C is a view ofanotherpitchers card of which there are four in the deck; Fig. 5 is aview of another pitchers card of which there are five in the deck; Fig.3 is a view of a fielders card y-hf which there are four in the deck;Fig. 7 is a View of a fielders card of which there are two in the deck;Fig. 8 is a view of a fiel e card of which there are three in the declry Fig, 9 is a plan of afgamc apparatussh'oiyi the outline of a baseballdianondan'd "bawns for the bases thereof; Fig.

1.0 is a ,view of a fielders card of which there are three in the deck;Fig. i1 is a view of a fielders card of which there are two in the deck;Fig. 12 is a View of a fielders card of which tnerc are two in the deck;Fig. 13 is a similar card of which there are two in the deck; Fig. l-lis a view of av similar card of which there is one in the deck; Fig. 15is a view of a similar card of which there is one in the deck; Fig.

16 is a view of one of the batters cards; and Five. 17, 18 and 19 areperspective 35 views of card suits illustrating therear face thereof.

T he pita/lows cards.Thc pitchers cards are to represent the differentkinds of balls that are pitched during a game. The faces of the cards ofthis deck are illustrated by a hand holding a ball ready to be pitched.The manner in which the ball is held is characteristic of the kind ofball pitched. Five different kinds of balls are in this set and each arerepresented by a different color, as follows: 3 cards represent a spitball and the ball is colored violet. 4 cards represent a drop ball andthe color is yellow. at cards represent an out-curve and go the color isgreen. 4. cards represent an incurve and the color is blue. 5 cardsrepresent a fast straight ball and the color is red. 4

The battcrs' cm'ds.'lhe batters cards are to represent the balls hit. Abase ball play- 5 er is shown on the face of this set swinging a club. Aball is also shown just above the club and is colored in one of the fivecolors that represent the different kinds of balls pitched. Thus, thereare five.balls colored red representing the five straight balls. thatare in the pitchers deck, 4: balls colored blue representing in-curve, lballs colored green representing out-curve, 4 balls colored yellowrepresenting drop-ball, 3 balls colored o5 violet representingspit-ball. A red ballon, the batters cards can onlyhit a fast straightball. A yellow ball-on the batters cards can only hit a drop'ball, etc.On the bat- ,ters cards is also printed thc location of'loq the fieldtowhich a ball is hit, and also the number of bases the batter isentitled to providing his hit is not stopped or caught by a fielder.

of this set are distributed as follows: 4 11 cards representing theshort-stop, 2 cards representing the first baseman, 3 cards representing the second baseman, 3 cards representing the third baseman, 2cards repre= senting the right fielder,2 cards representing the leftfielder, 2 cards representing the center fielder, 1 card representingthe pitcher, 1 card representing the catcher. The names of the variouspositions of the fielders are printed on the face of the cards,

so that there' can be no mistake as to their position.

[low to play the game.To play the game with all the science that thegame affords the players must first acquaint themselves with the cards.By knowing the deck and being thoroughly familiar with every card, thepersons playing will find little dif ficulty inputting up-a strong game;After choosing who will pitch and who will be the batter, the pitcherwill take the two sets (pitchers cards and fielders cards) keeping themseparate, and the batter will take the batter's cards. After shuttling,each will draw five cards off the top of his decks, The pitcher drawsfive cards of the pitchers deck and five cards of the fielders deck.Placing the diagram of the diamond on the table, with the home plate infront of the person who is to bat first, the player will place one ofthe little figures on home base to represent the batter. The game is nowready to start. The pitcher selects anyone of his five cards, whichrepresent the different kinds of balls pitched, and lays it down faceup. The batter in order to hit the pitched ball must hold a card whichhas the same colored ball on it as the card that is *pitched. If so, helays it down face up; if

cards and if he holds a ca rd that will stop or catch the ball hit bythe batter, the batter is out, if not the batter will be entitled to asmany bases as his card designates. The batter now draws a card from hisset and the pitcher draws a ca rd from his pitchers deck. If the pitcherused a fielder to put the batter out, he must draw one card from hisfielders deck. If no fielder was used, the person pitching may have hischoice of discarding one of his fielders and drawing, to better his handor if he thinks his hand is as strong as possible he need not discard.The game is continued by the pitcher'pitching another ball and thebatter hitting it.

This is continued until the pitcher has de- The decks are then.

clared three. men out. exchanged and play resumed.

Five, seven, or nine innings constitute the game. The one havingthelargest score at the end of the game is the winner.

To better illustrate the possibilities of the game, a half an inningwill be described as .it can be played with the. cards. The: pitcherthrows a fast straight ball. The batter-sees he has two cards that canhit it, namely, a-

two base hit to left field and a. grounder to second base for one base.He chooses the latter, and the pitcher failing to hold a sec- 0nd baseman in his hand the batter'issafe, I

After each draws a card the pitcher now throws an in curve. The battercan hit it pitcher holding no second base man, the runner is safe. Thepitcher now throws a spit ball. The batter hits it to a short stop forone base. The pitcher holding ashort stop card the batter is out; thebase runner remaining at second base. pitched is an out curve. Thebatter hits it to right field fortwo bases/ The pitcher holding a rightfielder card, the batter is out. But the batter moves his base runner tothird base on the out. The pitcher holding a third baseman in his handthrows out the card and the runneris declared the third man out. i

Rules of the game.

A hit (fly or grounder to the in or out 'to center field for threebases, but thinks the I The next ball field) is good for as many basesas is shown on the card, providing the ball is not caught or stopped bya fielder. If the ball is not caught or stopped by a fielder, the menwho are on the bases when the ball was hit are entitled to as many basesas the hitter. If a fly ball is hit to the infield and is caught by afielder, the batter out, and if men are on the bases, they must remain011 that base which they occupied before the ball was hit.

Forced [)Za 3 s.\Vhen men arev on bases and a grounder is hit to thethird baseman, short stop or second baseman, and the men are forced toadvance, the man nearest home plate shall be declared out, if the ballis a stopped by any one of the three said players.

()n a forced play when the ball is batted to. the pitcher or firstbaseman andthe pitcher holds either one of these men in his hand thatcan stop the hit, the batter shall be declared out, (a sacrifice hit)and the base runner or runners shall each advance one basef A doubleplay can be made on a forced play, providing the ball hit is stopped bysecond base anda ball-is'hi-tto second baseman and stopped by him, theman running to third base shall be declared out and in this case inorder to complete the double play, (that is to retire the man who isforced to run from first base to second) the pitcher must hold. a shortstop card in his hand.

(in fly hit to the outfield and the ball is caugl'it, any base runner orall base runners may advance one base, {if the batter so chooses to movehis men) and shall be de clared safe if the pitcher does not hold thecorresponding baseman in his hand. If the pitcher does hold such basemanin his hand, the base runner is declared out. If two or more runnersadvance on the only one base runner can be put out. That one beingdetermined by the fielders card that the pitcher shall throw from hishand.

, A player may steal any base when a strike is called on a batter. Thebase runner is safe if the pitcher does not hold a fielder in his handcorresponding to the base which was stolen. It such card is held thebase runner shall called out.

On a double or triple steal, only one base runner can be put out. Therunner will he declared out by the pitcher providing he holds card(fielders card) corresponding to any one oi? the bases stolen.

Batter aafe.-When he hits a ball pitched, which is not stopped or caughtby a fielder. When he steals a base and the pitcher does not hold theplayer corresponding to the base stolen. A base runner may steal a baseonly when the batter does not hit the ball pitched.

Batter is out.When three strikes are called. a batted ball with hisfielders cards. When a. base runner steals a base and the pitcher holdsa corresponding fielder in his hand.

card game represents ll possibilities, chances and science that can bedisplayed in base ball game. The pitcher and the fielder represent oneteam, the batter the opposed team. The pitcher and the fielders mustalways be aware of each others designs and plans, and therefore, in thisgame the pitchers and fields-rs cards are held by the same player.Before pitching the ball a player looks at his fielders, and sees\'l1tl'-l'l(-I' there is among them a. man he can depend upon to stopthe ball when the bat tcr hits it. The batters part can be played mostscientifically. Watching the outplayed pil'chers and fielders cards, hecan often play a sure game, hitting the ball to a place on the field,where he knows there is no one to stop it, or steal a base, knowingbeforehand that there is no baseman to hold his man.

When played by more than two persons the game is played in the followingmanner:

When. the pitcher can stop or catch- One player is a pitcher andfielder, the other players are all batters. The pitcher takes five ofhis cards and -five of the fielders cards, and one of the players(usually the player sitting opposite the pitcher) takes five battercards. As soon as this man is out or gets his man on a base, the playerputs the rest of his cards into the batters deck, and the next player tohim takes five cards from the batters deck and continues the game, assecond batter at the plate. When three men are out, the cards areexchanged and the player nearest to the pitcher becomes pitcher andfielder and the former pitcher becomes one of the batters. After 5, 7 or9 innings as-per agreement, the player that made the most number of runsis the winner. Of coairse in this game everybody plays for himself, andif the batter reaches bases, it is the object of the next player to seethat the batter shall not reach the home plate.

It is optional with the players to accept the following rule: A pitcherbeing afraid of his batter has the right to throw out a pitchers cardface down, anda floall will be called on the pitcher. The batter has theright in such a case to discard one of his cards and draw another froml1lS" (l8Ck. This rule favors a pitcher and also makes the game slow.

i What I claim is 1. A deck of cards 01" 1156 in/playing a card game ofbase ball, including a plurality of suits and a plurality, of like cardsin each 0 suit, one of said suits haying indicia thereon representingthediiferent kinds of balls that are pitched during a game; anothersuit, having indicia' thereon representing balls that are hit dying-agame, ard n aiother suit 105 having indicia thereon repres ting the dififerent players in a game. i 'ro;n the foregoing it 18 apparent that the2. A deck of cards jpi/use in playing a,

card game 0f base ball, including a/pitchers suit, abatters suit, and afielders suit, each suit having a plurality of like cards and the cardsof all of said suits having indicia thereon representing the differentballs, players and plays of a baseball game.

3. A deck of cards for use in playing acard game of baseball, includinga pitchers suit of twenty ca rds, a batters suit of twenty cards, and afielders suit of twenty cards, each suit having a plurality of likecards and the cards of all of said suits having displayed thereonpictorial representations of players and devices used by players in thegame of baseball.

4-. A deck of cards for use in playing a card game of baseball,including a pitchers suit of twenty cards displaying thereon pictorialrepresentations of the various kinds of balls pitched during a game,said suit having a plurality of like cards; a batters suit of twentycards displaying thereon pictorial representations of balls that can behit during a game, locat1on of the field t0 WhlCll a ball is hit, andthe number of bases a batter is entitled to; and a fielders suit oftwenty cards displaying thereon pictorial representations of playersinthe field, said batters and fielders suit having a plurality of likecards.

5. A deck of cards for use in playing a card game of baseball includinga plurality of suits and a plurality of like cards in each suit, thecards of one suit having indicia on both sides thereof representing thedifferent kinds of balls that are pitched during a game; the cards ofanother suit having indicia on both sides thereof representing the ballsthat are hit during a game, and the cards of another suit having indiciaon both sides thereof representing the different players in a game. v

6. A deck of cards for use in playing a card game of baseball includinga pitehers suit of twenty cards each displaying on one side thereofpictorial representations of players and devices used by players in thegame of baseball and on the opposite sides thereof indicia identifyingthe cards with the pitchers suit, a batters suit of twenty cards eachdisplaying on one side thereof pictorial representations of players anddevices used by the players in the game of baseball and on the oppositeside indicia identifying the cards With the batters suit, and a fielderssuit of twenty cards each displaying on one side thereof pictoria-lrepresentations of players and. devices-used by players in the game ofbaseball and on the opposite side thereof indicia identifying the cardswith the fielders suit.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ELI V. ELCOUIN.

Witnesses ANNA M. Donn, CHAS. V. STAUFFIGER.

